Bookmark & Share

YesAsia Editorial Description

Releasing their latest mini-album amidst controversy, T-ara lets the music speak for itself. The group continues their trend of super catchy dance songs with Sexy Love, composed by hit producer Shinsadong Tiger. Mirage also comes with the new song Love All and all five tracks from Day By Day.

Although musing T-ara’s ‘incidents’ (see below), I did actually buy this “Mirage” CD/book set, and like it (again, plenty of big pictures of the girls). It’s T-ara after all. For me the techno dance “Sexy Love” maintains the T-ara dance beat likened to “Lovey Dovey”. The song is also another conveyed role-play of the sexy image as is universal to the modern pop industry. It being an industry, the pop robot/doll (this doll T-ara imagery is featured on Mirage’s back cover and inner booklet and the Japanese “Sexy Love” CDs) might be reflecting the female Maria machine from movie “Metropolis”, and for the tracks here it’s a pity there wasn’t a T-ara song called, eh, ‘Robot Love’ (Or ‘harlequin robot love’ concerning the background patterns). The T-ara dolls though look more puppet like or visions of future, servant robot women. Like maybe a bit like ‘The Model’ by Kraftwerk. Anyway, listening to “Mirage” I also welcomed back the song “Day by Day” (the fantasy rpg hamlet theme for me…lol) which in its simplicity and derivative theme, is quite warming to listen, too. Its familiar, Swedish, but nicely blended with T-ara’s vocals (just how I like GG when they sing ‘Genie for your wish’ in that quite deepish tone….oh, what am I saying here). But T-ara’s new added songs “Sexy Love” and the new ballad “Love All” are okay. For the ballad “Love All”, it is good to let Areum have a go as her introductory to the group. If anything “Mirage” is more credible to buy for the photo book if you’ve already got “Day by Day”, but if you love T-ara you’ve most likely got this anyway. Again, it’s a shame Hwayoung is presently no longer part of T-ara to enjoy this, but hopefully she’ll enter a good new chapter in her future musical career. For T-ara, keep it going girls, and no boxing each other’s ears :D

Yes, before “Mirage” CD (mentioned above), T-ara went through an unnecessary ‘bullying’ ordeal. But T-ara have love inside their souls and the ‘incidents’ surly derive from an overblown situation from mandatory work demands. Okay, maybe rivalry and ambition and some natural conflicts. But even if some of T-ara were ‘out of line’ the incidents have been exaggerated and T-ara have received too much extreme grief. So bad, I wondered sometimes if T-ara were supposed to repent or even go though a court martial. Heaven forbid. But with ‘scandals’ it’s the masses that the ‘news’ is targeted at, and its fans and the like who end up the most confused, frustrated and separated by it all. But if bad issues did happen, T-ara cannot lose if they tolerate and trust their career paths, use positive restraint and warmly laugh it out together, learning from mistakes - and give each other some peace, hugs and love. This ‘scandal’ doesn’t have to be always ‘switched on’.

But I’m pleased T-ara are battling through. When I look at T-ara’a Japanese “YaYaYa” promo pictures I see the girls in positive happy mood (unless returning to their digs after the photo shoots, the girls hit each other over the head with inflatable batons). Okay promotional CD covers show entertainers ‘acting’ in various emotions. Just like T-ara would emulate a ‘dark’ look for the thriller “Cry Cry” video. But T-ara, albeit on their promo photos/videos, look fine to me - moody, sexy or happy as usual. Mainly, something probably went pear shaped in Budokan, two members had leg injuries and maybe spirits and morale hit an all time low, and then frictions happened. Maybe jealousy, although it’s better to enjoy the fame than demand the love. Hwayoung, unfortunately, for whatever reason left T-ara. But sometimes ‘bad days’ lead to out of character frustration and misunderstandings, and if a spontaneous negative situation happens in public display, it’s a lit blue touch paper to rife scandal. Whatever the situ, I hope Hywayoung finds a fruitful positive future and T-ara continue in love. As UFO’s Commander Straker once said ‘Don’t ever judge a situation by the end of a conversation’, which certainly apply's to fragmented media information. One overblown situation shouldn’t suggest T-ara have 24/7 argumentative problems and ‘issues’, and the ‘bullying’ incident becomes mere speculation. So, lets wish T-ara luck, success and compassion for 2013. Now girls, put those inflatable batons down, this minute!

Song1 "Sexy Love", beautiful synth-pop with very catchy electro robotic tune, one of their best songs. Song2-5 are slow to mid tempo, surprisingly very melodic. Song6 & 7, fast songs but light and undanceable, insignificant songs that I usually skip. Unnecessary big packaging.

After the earlier album " Day By Day " , T-ara had not failed to impress with each new album. Even though
this is a Repackage Album to "Day By Day " with additional 2 new tracks , this album is just excellent
especially the track "Sexy Love " ( unfortunatelly this album does not come with Music Video of the track)
If you have not purchased the album " Day By Day " , this album is a must !
They will be in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia on 03rd October 2012 for their 1st Showcase and can't wait to see
them

You know you want it - just admit itCustomer Review Rated Bad 10 - 10 out of 10

A repackaged version of the "Day By Day" mini-album, with two extra tracks. As with all repackages, it makes far more sense to buy this than "Day By Day" unless you really must have the (admittedly excellent) photobook for that release.

The new songs are simply great. "Sexy Love" is a typical 130BPM Shinsadong Tiger track, not wildly different to "Lovey Dovey" but certainly at least as catchy. The "robot" concept of the song means that the producers have gone for a slight industrial/EBM ambience and it works really well to make the song distinctive, there's really nothing quite like it in k-pop, at least not right now. Ahreum's vocoder/Autotune rap fits in nicely with this concept and is probably one of the most appropriate uses of this effect in the entirety of pop music history - after all if you're going to sound like a plastic robot, it makes sense to do it in a song about plastic robots. As for the supposed similarity of "Sexy Love" and “We No Speak Americano", yes the basic beat is fairly similar but it's certainly not exactly the same and even less so once the ambience is added, not that it matters much anyway - criticising Korean pop music for lack of originality is like criticising a cat because it is not a dog. The other song "Love All/Day And Night" is extremely similar to T-ara's previous duet with Davichi "We Were In Love", but it's by no means inferior. A pity it's only Ahreum from T-ara on this track but I guess they wanted to showcase their new member, and perhaps promote Shannon and Gavy NJ at the same time and why not, it certainly doesn't hurt the track musically.

On top of all this you get the excellent Ennio Morricone-inspired "Day By Day" and "Don't Leave", plus the other "Day By Day" songs which are all thoroughly decent. As a T-ara fan there's really no reason for you not to buy "Mirage" - apart from the ludicrously daft "controversy" of course, but if you're willing to let tabloid music press and the online rumour mill of trolls, antis and bored witch-hunting computer jockeys dictate your own music taste to you, then you are frankly a fool who deserves to miss out on good music like this. Overall "Mirage" is a great mini-album, not as good as "Absolute First Album", but it's certainly pretty consistent with no screaming dud tracks, plus better than a lot of what's come out from many female k-pop groups so far in 2012, and as someone new to the group you could certainly do a lot worse than to pick this up.